This invention relates generally to containers formed from sheet material, and more specifically to corrugated barrels, blanks of sheet material for producing corrugated barrels, and methods and apparatus for forming corrugated barrels.
Containers fabricated from paperboard and/or corrugated paperboard material are often used to store and transport goods. These containers can include four-sided containers, six-sided containers, eight-sided containers, bulk bins and/or various size corrugated barrels. Such containers are usually formed from blanks that are folded along a plurality of preformed fold lines to form an erected corrugated container.
In the case of a corrugated barrel, when the blank is folded, different panels and/or flaps overlap to form a manufacturer's joint, a bottom of an erected corrugated barrel, and a top of the erected corrugated barrel. Because such erected barrels are often used to transport and store various products having various loads therein, the sealing of the manufacturer's joint and the barrel bottom, and the closing of the barrel top should be considered during manufacturing of the blank and the barrel.
However, due to the complexity of at least some known blanks and corrugated barrels, such blanks and corrugated barrels are difficult and time consuming to manufacture. Moreover, because of increased costs, at least some known corrugated barrels are simply designed in an effort to reduce costs, manufacturing time, and labor, which oftentimes results in inadequate sealing of the manufacturer's joint and the barrel bottom, and inadequate closing of the barrel top. As a result, products contained within the barrel may undesirably fall and/or spill out of the barrel thereby causing damage to the products.